WTN: Two village Burgundies and a fine Luxemburg riesling.

The first two wines were consumed at a St. Valentine’s dinner at the excellent Hotel/Restaurant La Gaichel, just inside the borders of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.

Riesling 2005 Grand Premier Cru Remich Primerberg – Moselle Luxembourgeise AC - Domaine Mathis Bastian, Remich, Luxemburg – Alc. 12.5%.

This was a revelation. (Belgians, and also German Mosellans, tend to look down on the wines from their Benelux neighbours in Luxemburg; mostly only the cheapest, mainly Rivaner = Müller-Thurgau, from large co-operatives can be found in Belgian supermarkets and wine shops; these are usually competently made wines lacking any sort of excitement.)

C: Quite pale.
N: Bursting with exciting aromatics including white fruit, petrol and exotic spices.
P: The same exciting aromatics as on the nose, coupled with mineral freshness and a touch of residual sugar encased in good round body with “gras” and length. Delicious; 16.5/20.

I discussed this briefly with the sommelier. He said that the quality of artisan produced Luxemburg wines from noble grape varieties is little appreciated abroad because it is all snapped up by Luxemburgers (highest GDP per head in the world and highest wine consumption per head in the EU!). Later the hotel owner pointed me towards an impressive giant supermarket where I was able to buy a small selection of artisan 1er crus at prices between € 6 and 10 to try at home. (I have made a mental note to pay a visit soon to leading growers along the Luxemburg bank of the Moselle; it is more gently beautiful but less tortuously curved and dramatically steep than the downstream German stretch between Trittenheim and Traben-Trarbach.)

Chassagne-Montrachet AOC (red) 2005 – Joseph Drouhin.

C: Medium density and youthful looking.
N: Elegant red and dark fruit with a note of tobacco.
P: Medium weight and elegant. This was still in the primary stage of fruit flavours but with an attractive balance of appealing acidity and “sweetness”. The tobacco note, probably owing more to the oak tree than the vine, became increasingly marked with exposure to air and warmth; it was quite attractive at first but later caramelised somewhat and tended to pall. Good mouth-shape and length. It went well with the most succulent pigeon which I have ever eaten; 14.5/20 now but may deserve more if the wood note integrates with maturity.


To show what development potential there can be in village Burgundy, here is a note from memory on one consumed at home about ten days earlier.

Pommard AOC 1990 – Paul Garaudet – Alc. 13%.

C: Quite dense for Burgundy and showing little signs of ageing.
N & P: It showed complex and quite deep red and dark fruit (particularly cherry with a hint of kirsch), ripeness, roundness, velvety mouth-feel, good acidity and structural grip and length but not yet a lot of forest floor and fine mushroom flavour. In its prime and over-performing its village status; 16.5/20+.

Re Luxemburg wine:

Here is a link to an excellent report by Tom Stevenson where he asks if Luxemburg is the new Alsace: http://www.wine-pages.com/guests/tom/luxemb.htm .

The sommelier at la Gaichel agrees with Tom that Luxemburg wine does not repay ageing, though I don't personally understand why the best Rieslings should not.

Small amounts of Pinot Noir are also being grown in Luxemeburg but the sommelier did not point me in that direction saying that they were not dissimilar to those from Alsace but less full-bodied but more mineral. As I have come across little full-bodied Alsatian pinot, I steered clear. With global warming there could, however, be potential for the future.

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks for the note on the Drouhin. I'm finding the 2005s harder and harder to taste as time goes on. They seem mostly shut down now, with only structure and wood showing.

Interesting to see a TN for a Luxembourgoise wine here. Back on the original WLDG I posted a note for a dry riesling from the charmingly named Hilarious Putz; I have to confess buying the wine mainly due to the name and curiosity! Clearly a sincere effort, but searingly acidic and austere; the wine you had sounds much better.

thanks for notes. I've thought some of the Paul Garaudet wines were good bargains (now I think under son's name???)

David, I agree a lot of '05s are shutting down,

Re Garaudet -

It's still Paul Garaudet, I think. The man himself is a regular visitor to the Belgian importer's annual tastings and can't be missed; bulky, jokey and garrulous.

Re Garaudet - addendum:

Whilst shopping this afternoon, I noticed at the gourmets' temple, Rob, a bottle of Pommard produced by JEAN Garaudet with an address in Pommard. I looked him up on Google and find that he seems to have a slightly wider portfolio than PAUL extending into Beaune. PAUL Garaudet is also mentioned as a seemingly separate estate with an address in Monthélie and it is he whom I periodically meet including last November.

During a further search in the French Yellow Pages, I confirmed the separate business addresses of Jean and Paul and stumbled across a vigneron PHILIPPE Garaudet also with a Monthélie address whose portfolio found in Google seems even wider extending into Côte de Nuits. There may be more Garaudet estates for all I know but I stopped my search there.

Paul is the only one mentioned in my 2008 reference books (Hachette and Bettane/Desseauve). Jean's being stocked by Rob is something of a reference and I came across a Rovani recommendation FWIW. I have found no reviews of Philippe.

I do not know the family relationship of these three.